The Cyber Hymnal™
Hymn Trivia
MOST POPULAR HYMN
Based on Cyber Hymnal™ traffic, How Great Thou Art is the runaway winner, with Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee in second place.
FIRST HYMN IN ENGLISH WRITTEN FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP
Behold the Glories of the Lamb (Isaac Watts, circa 1688).
OLDEST HYMN WHOSE AUTHOR IS KNOWN
Shepherd of Tender Youth (Clement of Alexandria, circa 200).
HYMNS SUNG AT CELEBRITY WEDDINGS & FUNERALS
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Abide with Me As Shadows Cast by Cloud and Sun Battle Hymn of the Republic Beautiful Isle of Somewhere Eternal Father, Strong to Save Faith of Our Fathers Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer Hark! from the Tombs a Doleful Sound Ho! Reapers of Life’s Harvest How Firm a Foundation I Vow to Thee, My Country Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise Jerusalem King of Love My Shepherd Is, The Lead, Kindly Light Love Divine, All Loves Excelling Master, the Tempest Is Raging Nearer, My God, to Thee O Love of God, How Strong and True O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go Onward, Christian Soldiers Our God, Our Help in Ages Past Peace, Troubled Soul Rock of Ages Safe in the Arms of Jesus Shall We Gather at the River? Sing with All the Saints in Glory Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
HYMNS SUNG IN MOVIES THAT WON OR WERE NOMINATED FOR ACADEMY AWARDS
Art Thou Weary, Art Thou Languid? Blessèd Assurance Blest Be the Tie that Binds Children of the Heavenly King Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest Come, O Creator Spirit Blest Dear Lord and Father of Mankind Eternal Father, Strong to Save Fight the Good Fight with All Thy Might For the Beauty of the Earth Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah Holy City, The In the Garden In the Sweet By and By Jerusalem Leaning on the Everlasting Arms Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming Nearer, My God, to Thee O God of Loveliness Old Time Religion Onward, Christian Soldiers Rock of Ages Shall We Gather at the River? Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling Son of God Goes Forth to War, The When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder
HYMNS THAT FIRST APPEARED IN NOVELS
HYMNS WRITTEN BY NON-CHRISTIANS
HYMNS INSPIRED BY MURDERS OR ASSASSINATIONS
HYMNISTS WHO WERE MURDERED
HYMNS WHOSE AUTHORS NEVER HEARD THEM SUNG
HYMNISTS WHO LEARNED OF THEIR WORK’S PUBLICATION ONLY AFTER HEARING IT SUNG
HYMNISTS THAT ACTED IN MOVIES
HYMNISTS WHO LOST FAMILIES IN SHIP DISASTERS
MOST PROLIFIC HYMNIST
Probably Fanny Crosby (1820–1915): she wrote over 8,000 hymns. It’s said editors didn’t want to publish so many hymns by one author in a single book, so they asked her to use pseudonyms (she had over 200). For a list of Fanny’s hymns that we have, click here .
Runners up for most prolific hymnist include Charles Wesley , George Matheson , and Isaac Watts .
YOUNGEST HYMNIST
Our guess is John Milton, who was 15 years old when he wrote Let Us with a Gladsome Mind . Runners up include:
OLDEST HYMNIST
The current contender is Fanny Crosby : The day before her death at age 95, she wrote her last hymn, to console a neighbor who had lost a child. Another work from Fanny’s later years is The Blood-Washed Throng , which she wrote at age 86.
BLIND HYMNISTS
HYMNISTS WHO DIED OUTSIDE THEIR NATIVE COUNTRY
NOBEL PRIZE WINNING HYMNISTS
HYMNISTS WITH FOSSILS NAMED AFTER THEM
HYMNISTS WHO WERE NOTABLE PUBLIC SERVANTS
HYMNISTS WITH WELL KNOWN SECULAR ACHIEVEMENTS
ADAMS, Sarah 1805–1848 Actress, poet Nearer, My God, to Thee ADDISON, Joseph 1672–1719 Writer, politician The Spacious Firmament on High ADOLPHUS, Gustavus 1594–1632 King of Sweden Fear Not, O Little Flock ALCOTT, Louisa May 1832–1888 Poet A Little Kingdom I Possess BALCH, Emily Greene 1867–1961 Nobel prize winner Now Let Us All Arise and Sing BARING-GOULD, Sabine 1834–1924 Writer Onward, Christian Soldiers BARTON, Bernard 1784–1849 Poet Walk in the Light BATES, Katharine Lee 1859–1929 Poet The Kings of the East Are Riding BLAKE, William 1757–1827 Poet And Did Those Feet in Ancient Time BOWRING, John 1792–1872 Diplomat, politician BRADFORD, William 1589–1657 Colonial governor And Truly It Is a Most Glorious Thing BRONTË, Anne 1820–1849 Writer BROWNING, Elizabeth Barrett 1806–1861 Poet BRYANT, William Cullen 1794–1878 Poet BUNYAN, John 1628–1688 Author He Who Would Valiant Be BYROM, John 1692–1763 Poet, diarist Christians, Awake, Salute the Happy Morn CAMPBELL, John D. S. 1845–1914 Politician CARLYLE, Thomas 1795–1881 Writer, historian A Safe Stronghold Our God Is Still CHESTERTON, Gilbert Keith 1874–1936 Author O God of Earth and Altar COWPER, William 1731–1800 Poet COX, Christopher Christian 1816–1882 Politician Silently the Shades of Evening DWIGHT, Timothy 1752–1817 College president DAVIES, Samuel 1723–1761 College president Great God of Wonders DRYDEN, John 1631–1700 Poet Come, Creator Spirit, by Whose Aid EMERSON, Ralph Waldo 1803–1882 Poet We Love the Venerable House GLADSTONE, William Ewart 1809–1898 Statesman O Lead My Blindness by the Hand GRANT, Robert 1778–1838 Statesman O Worship the King GURNEY, Dorothy Frances 1858–1932 Poet O Perfect Love HAY, John 1838–1905 Statesman, diplomat HOLMES, Oliver Wendell 1809–1894 Poet, teacher JOHNSON, James Weldon 1871–1938 Poet, diplomat, civil rights leader Lift Every Voice and Sing KEBLE, John 1792–1866 Poet, teacher KEY, Francis Scott 1779–1843 Lyricist, Lawyer KEMPENFELT, Richard 1718–1782 British navy admiral KILMER, Joyce 1886–1918 Poet No Longer of Him Be It Said LANIER, Sidney 1842–1881 Poet LOWELL, James Russell 1819–1891 Poet Once to Every Man and Nation MILLAY, Edna St. Vincent 1892–1950 Poet O God, I Cried, No Dark Disguise MILTON, John 1608–1674 Poet MOORE, Clement Clarke 1779–1863 Writer Lord of Life, All Praise Excelling MOORE, Thomas 1779–1852 Poet, nationalist Come, Ye Disconsolate PARK, John Edgar 1879–1956 College president We Would See Jesus POPE, Alexander 1688–1744 Poet Rise, Crowned with Light RAYMOND, Rossiter W. 1840–1918 Novelist, government official Morning Red ROSSETTI, Christina 1830–1894 Poet SCOTT, Walter 1771–1832 Poet That Day of Wrath SPENSER, Edmund 1553–1599 Poet Most Glorious Lord of Life STOWE, Harriet Beecher 1812–1896 Author TATE, Nahum 1652–1715 Playwright, poet laureate While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (Tate) TENNYSON, Alfred 1809–1892 Poet Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New VAN DYKE, Henry 1852–1933 Professor, diplomat Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee WHITTIER, John Greenleaf 1807–1892 Poet Dear Lord and Father of Mankind WINNER, Septimus 1827–1902 Poet, composer Whispering Hope
HYMNIST WITH THE MOST UNUSUAL LIFE STORY
A subjective category, but our vote goes to Daniel de Marbelle .
TUNES SHARED WITH SECULAR SONGS
DENOMINATIONS WITH FORMAL HYMN PROCEDURES
John Wesley ’s singing rules for Methodists (he had a method for everything!):
Learn the tune.
Sing them as they are printed.
Sing all. If it is a cross to you, take it up and you will find a blessing.
Sing lustily and with a good courage.
Sing modestly. Do not bawl.
Sing in time. Do not run before or stay behind.
Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing Him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this, attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually.